Payment History - Impact 35%
Paying debt on time and in full (especially ahead of the set term) has a positive impact, and late payments, judgements, and charge-offs have a negative impact.

Outstanding Credit Balances - Impact 30%
The debt ration of outstanding balance to available credit is important. Keeping that below 50% is wise and below 30% is even wiser. It is never a good idea to close an account. The debt rations will go up and the number of seasoned lines will decrease. Pay outstanding debt down as close to zero as possible and evenly re-distribute the remaining balance among the open lines. Hitting the maximums of available credit can be very negative. It may be worth calling and asking the credit company to increase your available credit to lower the debt ration, provided they can do so without a credit inquiry.

Credit History- Impact 15%
The length of time a particular credit line has been opened is important. A seasoned borrower is stronger.

Type of Credit - Impact 10%
A mix of auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages is positive, rather than a concentration in credit cards only.

Inquiries - Impact 10%
Inquiries for credit will negatively impact the score. Auto and mortgage inquiries receive special treatment and 20 inquiries can be made in a 14-day period for auto or mortgage loans and will be treated as only one inquiry. The maximum number of inquiries that will reduce the score is 10. Any inquiries beyond that (11+) in a six-month period will have no further impact on the borrower. Each inquiry can cost 2-50 points on a credit score.